At the group's annual general meeting, investors accused the Aviva board of "squandering" shareholders' money on the campaign, according to The Telegraph.
Lord Sharman, chairman of Aviva, defended the move arguing that the company's brand awareness had grown from 35% to 80% as a result.
The TV ads, created by Abbott Mead Vickers, feature celebrities who changed their names before becoming internationally recognised.
The campaign is designed to highlight the rebranding of all the group's businesses, including Norwich Union in the UK, to Aviva. The group is the world's fifth-largest insurance group.
The latest ad sees celebrities, including McPherson, Starr and Macaulay Culkin, alongside members of the public expressing their opinions about what they expect from an insurance company.
In the UK, the TV ads have been accompanied by a nationwide billboard campaign. The international campaign will start later this year, targeting the American, Asian and continental European markets.
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